A new initiative will bring some of the most established US artists to Australia this year, beginning with Jeff Koons, father of the emblematic Balloon Dogs, and Jeffrey Gibson, who creates richly-patterned sculptures and installations in psychedelic colours reflecting his Native American roots.
Presented by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) and the American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia (AFNGA), the AFNGA: Visiting Creatives Program will engage these artists in special public talks and lectures. Koons will be in a public conversation with NGA Director, Dr Nick Mitzevich in August, and Gibson will present the NGA’s 2025 Annual Lecture in October.
In addition, Koons will be heading to BLEACH* Festival in the Gold Coast for a conversation with Vault Editor-in-Chief, Alison Kubler (31 July), thanks to the Visiting Creatives initiative.
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One to two individuals will be selected to participate in the program each year, ranging from artists, curators, critics, academics and other cultural leaders. The participants are invited to gain a deeper understanding of Australian contemporary art practices through cultural exchange at the NGA, with the potential of interstate travel.
The media release highlights that ‘participants are selected for their capacity to elevate the profile of Australian art internationally’ and ‘their insights and experiences will help forge stronger ties between Australia and the United States’.
The Visiting Creatives Program fosters connections with NGA curators and the national collection, focusing on First Nations, contemporary Australian art and the NGA’s collection of post-war American art.
AFNGA was founded in 1982 and has helped to facilitate philanthropic support to the NGA over the past 40 years – the combined value of works donated to date is in excess of $40 million.
AFNGA President, Michael Maher says, “The American Friends are delighted to partner with the National Gallery in what promises to be a highly valuable initiative, the AFNGA: Visiting Creatives Program … We are certain that upon our creatives’ return to the U.S, they will become enthusiastic and impactful ambassadors for the National Gallery. The power of ‘’people-to-people’ exchanges to widely resonate, especially in the art world, is well known.
“Over the next 40 years, the American Friends look forward to building the AFNGA: Visiting Creatives Program into a vital platform for enhancing U.S-Australia cultural ties and opening the door for many more Americans to actively engage with the National Gallery’s remarkable collection,” Maher concludes.
